Hollywood Filmograph (Jan-Dec 1932)

HOLLYWOOD FILMOCRAPH March 12, 1932 pi HOLLYWOOD 1 nlmodraprL Entered as second-class matter April 13, 1926 at the Post Office, Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Published weekly by HOLLYWOOD FILMOCRAPH, Inc., 1606 Cahuenga, Suites 213-214. (Los Angeles, California, Post Office.) SUBSCRIPTION RATES, $5.00 PER YEAR HARRY BURNS, President and Editor Office Phone, Hillside 1146 1 Vol. 12 Hollywood. California, Saturday, March 12, 1932 No. 8 THE ACCOUNTANT What sage was it that once said NATURE IS THE STRICTEST ACCOUNTANT, AND WHEN SHE SENDS IN A BILL WE MUST PAY. Well, folks, we paid the freight for the year of 1931 and we made many mistakes, it was what some people would call a bad year, and now that the studios are settling down to a picture making basis, let us be better able to pay THE ACCOUNTANT'S BILL when 1933 rolls around. When we find ourselves with our backs against the wall, that is the time we fight the hardest to win our battle with whatever problem we figure faces us, we just figure we have such-and-such a problem — let us accept it as a matter of form and duty and go about doing it happily and with understanding and see how easily it fades out of sight. We are still at peace with the world — -why declare a war of your own, on yourself and deal yourself a lot of trouble? Accept only that which you feel is best for you, throw the rest to the winds. "IS MY FACE RED" RKO-Radio has ambitious plans for the Broadway columnist play, "Is My Face Red !" authored by Ben Markson and Allen Rivkin. Casey Robinson, wirter-director, has been borrowed from Paramount to collaborate with Markson in rushing the screen version for production early in April. Robinson is the author of "The Last Parade," and wrote the screen play for "The Squealer." David O. Selznick, executive vice-president in charge of production, has assigned Harry Joe Brown, associate producer, to supervise, and Lowell Sherman to direct. The cast thus far includes Ricardo Cortez, Robert Armstrong, Jill Esmond, Phyllis Clare and Arline Judge, and will be bolstered by a half dozen other important names for pivot roles. "Is My Face Red!" was a sensation in one-act form at both the Writers Club and Masquers, where it first attracted the attention of producers. Later it was developed into three acts. Gene Fowler, ace newspaperman and author of best sellers, is sitting in with Robinson and Markson to polish off the dialogue. "Is My Face Red!" caught fire in Hollywood instantly. No other play in recent months has excited as much comment due to its colorful characters and staccato tempo. LECTURES INTEREST SCREEN FOLKS With the advent of talking pictures many well-known actors and actresses disappeared from the screen because their voices could not keep pace with the type of character they were best qualified for or because their sounds being imperfect, indistinct or even almost incomprehensible. Some of these artists have been abroad to visit the famous Vienna University Clinic lor the correction of defective speech. But the expenses of such trips attached to the necessity of remaining in Europe for a great length of time prevented many an artist from taking advantage of this world known training. B. Lewis, from the Vienna University Clinic, and more recently from Chicago, where an enormous practice kept her busy for six years, is now in Hollywood, where she is lecturing at her studio, 2048 Cahuenga Boulevard, every Tuesday evening at eight o'clock. B. Lewis is already training quite a number of pupils, who are fast improving their speech, having suffered from stammering, stuttering, lisping and other defects in speech. Among the interesting cases is that of a six-year-old child who a short time ago was unable to say a word, a so-called hear-mute child. B. Lewis hopes to be instrumental in bringing back to the screen many of those artists who believed their career to have been shattered with the inception of talking pictures. TO TALK MATTERS OVER A meeting of the Technicians' Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be held on Thursday evening, March 17. The subject of "Film Editing" will be discussed, and papers will be presented dealing with the mechanical aspects of the subject as well as the artistic and dramatic. This is the first of four technical meetings planned for the coming year by the Tapers and Programs Committee of the Technicians' Branch, of which Carl Drcher is chairman. In line with Academy policy, each of these meetings will deal with some practical phase of motion picture production. "SPRINGTIME FOR HENRY" Edward Everett Horton proved even smarter than the smartest lines that Benn V. Levy wrote when he penned "Springtime for Henry," for it was only through the ability of this funmaker that the play now running at the Hollywood Playhouse got across the footlights, for it is a light three act farce which the author also staged, lacking any real punch, but bordering on the risque enough in cross-fire repartee until you sort of shift in your seat trying to keep up with the keen wits that are speaking the author's lines so rapidly at times, that you lose the sense and meaning of their pointed remarks. Like all Horton shows, he is the whole show in himself, regardless of those who work in his plays. Herbert Mundin, a very clever English comedian, worked hard to keep up with the pace that Mr. Horton set, but found it difficult, although he gained howls of laughter, principally because of his ability to put across his laughs like the true trouper that he is, and he wouldn't allow even his audience to lose him for a second. Lillian Bond and Irene Purcell were very good, especially Miss Bond, who has a quaint personality, that gets across the footlights possibly better than on the screen, but when she learns more about screen technique she'll surprise a lot of 'em. Miss Purcell had a difficult part of a faithless wife, and carried the role to the final curtain in fine form. The* finish although unusual, doesn't smack of good drama. There is little or no moral and sends the audience away with a bad taste in their mouths after enjoying a splendid show and performance — it looked like the author became tired at the finish and said, "Oh let anything happen that you care, since we have gotten over that the girl killed her husband, and the other man's wife loves another man, so as the curtain drops we find" — Go see it and choose your weapons afterwards. "THE TRIAL OF MARY DUGAN" The Wilbur Players at the Music Box are attracting larger audiences and are gradually becoming more popular with regular patrons eacfuweek. In their latest offering, "The Trial of Mary Dugan," staged and directed by Forrest Taylor, they present one of the best pef rromances of this dramatic play seen on the local stage. You all are familiar with the story written by Bayard Vieller as it has been seen both on the stage and screen. However, Richard Wilbur and his co-workers have given this one a lavish production and with such experienced players as Barbara Brown, Frederick M^ckay, Rupert Drumm, Howard Wilson, Harry Ray, William Heater, Al Weston, Tove Linden, Amy Johnson, Alice Lucas, Robert Linden, Violet Knight, Edna Ellsmere, Harry King, Arthur Wellington, Cora White, Ralph Gardner, Del Baldwin, Joseph Luckie, and Audrey Carpenter the entire performance was a great success. This week the Wilbur Players are to show a play never seen on the stage before and of a subject which is always interesting the public, "Napoleon Had It Too," by Madeline Blackmore and Sad.a Cowan, and being an up-to-date comedy with Hollywood as a background, promises to be one of the sensations of the season. "SONS 0' GUNS" The Carthay Circle is an ideal spot for musical comedies. "Sons O' Guns," starring Ethelind Terry, with Richard Powell, Fredrick Santley and Wyndham Standing, as equal stars, holds forth in a melange of songs, dances and music, the likes of which haven't graced the Carthay boards for some time, and which, when whipped into shape, will be far better than when we saw the show the opening performance. Jack Donahue and Fred Thompson wrote the book. The music was by Arthur Swarmstrom and J. Fred Coots, while the production was staged by Frank M. Ranger. John Britz was conductor, with Leo Flanders, associate conductor. Eddie Larkin staged the dances. Settings, singing and dancing were on a par with the funmakers. There are almost one hundred artists in the show. BILLY MOONEY is out of the hospital after a very serious illness and feels greatly indebted to Dr. George Berg, who has been taking such excellent care of him for over a month. Mr. Mooney says that he can't find word laudatory enough to fit what he wishes to say about the physician for his help in his hour of need. ROSCOE ARBUCKLE received one bouquet of flowers that he prided in as much as any he received during his engagement at the Pantages Theatre recently, it was from Joe Mann who is the Generalsimino of the Blossom Room m the Roosevelt Hotel. Joe never has lost faith and interest in "Roscoe" who would travel any distance to let "Joe" serve him, which about makes it mutual. OLYMPIC AUDITORIUM The Tuesday night fights were packed with plenty of thrills. Any one of the preliminaries was worth the money, and the fight between "Speedy" Dado and Rudolfo Tegha was one the fans will not forget for some time, even though it had to be stopped in the seventh round. Tegha is a new boy from the Argentine and he will be plenty tough for boys not so clever as Dado. The main event between Bobby Pacho and Armando Santiago was not so bad, but looked slow compared to the other bout. The March 15th card features "Dynamite" Jackson and Ray Elliott in the main event, with "Star" Frisco and "Oggie" Curtis in the semi-final. There will be forty rounds of boxing, and the prices have been cut to $2, $1, and 50c THE FINAL CURTAIN FOR JAMES NEILL March 15, 1931 "A combination and a form indeed, Where every God did seem to set his seal To give the world assurance of a Man." in ioving memory of a devoted Husband and Brother. EDYTHE CHAPMAN NEILL EDWIN H. NEILL.